Wobbly teacher Robert Herzing violated policy before being arrested

DELTA TWP. – A Lansing-area teacher charged in September with sex crimes involving children was twice investigated for unprofessional and inappropriate conduct by school officials for incidents apparently unrelated to his arrest.

District officials found that Waverly High School teacher Robert Herzing violated staff ethics, student supervision and welfare policies by engaging students in “inappropriate sexual conversations,” and Herzing was issued a written warning on April 10.

The investigation into his conduct took place after Herzing, an English teacher, was placed on administrative leave on March 20, according to his personnel file, which the State Journal obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Other staff at Waverly High School reported that Herzing had conversations with students that were “sexual in nature.” Comments allegedly overheard by staff included Herzing explaining why women could have multiple orgasms while men could not, and answering students’ questions about sex.

School officials investigated other claims unrelated to the student conversations, including that Herzing had ear piercing and tattoo equipment in his classroom for students to use and that students were only allowed in his classroom office.

Herzing denied any inappropriate conversations during his meeting with Micky Savage, the district’s director of human resources and labor relations. Herzing said he overheard some of it, but didn’t get involved other than telling the students to ask their sex education teacher, and they were talking about “dirty.”

He also denied that there were piercing and tattooing equipment in his classroom. He did say students could use his office to change for work or for their classes at the Wilson Talent Center.

None of the students interviewed said anything about the alleged inappropriate conversations, according to a letter from Waverly Superintendent Kelly Blake to staff after Herzing’s arrest. District officials could not be reached for comment on his personnel file.

Herzing, 32, also could not be reached for comment, but messages were left with his attorney, Aaron Bartell.

Herzing taught at JW Sexton High School in Lansing from September 2016 until his appointment to Waverly in January 2020, according to his personnel file.

Last month, Herzing was arraigned in Eaton County District Court on charges of soliciting a child for an immoral purpose, third-degree criminal sexual conduct and using a computer/internet to communicate with another to commit a crime. Online court records indicate the incident occurred on May 2 this year. Court records show Herzing posted bond.

The most serious charges carry a prison sentence of 15 years.

The school district was not notified by the Eaton County Sheriff’s Office until Sept. 13 that Herzing was the subject of a criminal investigation, said Chris Huff, director of education and learning at Waverly Community Schools.

Court records show Herzing first contacted an Eaton County Sheriff’s Office detective who had created a profile for a 15-year-old boy on Grindr months before the two began texting through TextNow, a free phone service, according to the court records. Grindr is an LGBTQ+ social networking and dating app.

According to court records, the two continued to communicate throughout the summer months and into early September. On September 12, Herzing agreed to meet the boy at the Delta Township District Library. Herzing was arrested upon arrival at the parking lot.

Contact Sarah Atwood at [email protected]. Follow her on X @sarahmatwood.

Wobbly teacher Robert Herzing violated policy before being arrested

By Sheisoe

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